Twisted Life of TSOM
by JeNNiFeR07
Summary: Slight change in the story. There is NO baroness. THe Captain and Maria do NOT fall in love..or at least..maybe ONE of them don't..until later on.
1. Chapter 1

"I am not finished yet, Captain!" Maria shouted as she was trying to put

some sense into the man before her. "Oh I think you are, Captain!

Er...Fraulein." Captain von Trapp stood before Maria, boiling with anger.

Fraulein stood still for a moment, a bit startled and triumphant at catching a

so-called high-ranking sea captain at fault. "Now. You will pack your bags

this minute, and return to the abbey." Turning to go to the house, he was

stopped by the sound of beautiful voices coming from his villa. He turned

back to Fraulein Maria."What's that?" Sounding a little harsher than

intended. "It's singing." Maria replied facetiously. _What is the matter with _

_him? Who else could it be? _The Captain looked back, surprised at the

revelation. "The children?" He whispered. He walked into the house quickly.

As he peeked into the living room, he was touched to see his children, all of

them, standing in their rows, singing one of his favorite songs, The Sound of

Music. _They sing so well! Oh, how it brings back those beautiful memories _

_back when Agathe was still alive. I want to join them in their singing. No! I _

_mustn't. I must remember that reliving those memories would only harm me. _

_I must not……..oh its so hard! I can't do this anymore; I've got to sing it _

_with them. _"To sing through the night, like a lark that is learning to pray. I go

to the hills, where my heart is lonely" I watch the children look at me in

astonishment. "I know that I'll hear, what I've heard before." Slowly, the

children join me. "My heart will be blessed, oh-oh, with the Sound of mu-

sic. And I'll sing, once more. "Slowly, the Captain walked to his children,

unsure of what to do, to show his children that he was willing to show

affection again, to show how sorry he was. Hesitantly, he drew out his arms,

as if asking for a hug. Brigitta was the first one to take him in for a hug. The

other children soon followed suit. Fraulein Maria had seen this, as she had

heard the sound of someone joining the children. Smiling, she looked down.

After a while, the Captain noticed his children looking at something- or

someone at the doorway. Turning, he saw Fraulein Maria peeking through

the doorway. Seeing that this was her cue to leave, Maria quickly left to go

to her room and pack her bags. The Captain immediately went after her.

"Fraulein." Maria stopped moving, and turned to face him. "I….behaved

badly. I apologize." The Captain said apologetically. Fraulein said, "Oh, I'm

far too outspoken. It's one of my worse faults." "You were right. I don't

know my children." The Captain said, musing. Fraulein Maria, not at all

used to the way the Captain was acting, started walking again. "Fraulein."

Again, Maria stopped at his voice. "I want you to stay. I…ASK you to stay."

"If I could be of any help." She said, with a look of hope written on her face.

"You have already, more than you know." The Captain said. Then he walked

back to where his children were waiting for him, leaving Maria behind with

her thoughts. Fraulein Maria stood there, shocked at what she had just heard.

After his words begin to sink in, she clasped her hands in delight, and went

to her room to get changed.

Captain Von Trapp stood, looking at his children with awe. They were so

forgiving, he mused. He was eternally grateful for the chance that his lovely

children were giving him, despite all he had done to them. _Thank you, God. _

He whispered. "Father, " Said Leisl, breaking his thoughts. "Yes, Leisl?" He

replied. "Where is Fraulein Maria? I thought she would be down by now."

She asked, worriedly. "I'm sure she's fine, Leisl. Do you want to go get

her?" "Yes, Father. I'll be right back." Leisl said, jumping out of her seat.

Running up the stairs, Leisl went up to her fraulein's room, and knocked on

the door. "Come in." Said Maria. Leisl poked her head in the room.

"Fraulein, why are you still inside? Shouldn't you be downstairs, for

dinner?" The governess smiled at her concern. "I'm fine, Leisl. I just fell

asleep, is all. I'm sorry to keep you all from eating your dinner."

Leisl, relieved, said, "Oh no trouble at all, Fraulein. I was just worrying."

"Well, thanks for your concern. We should probably go downstairs now. I'm

sure Kurt is getting more impatient by the second!" Fraulein said smiling.

Laughing, the two women went downstairs, arms linked.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Good evening everyone. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Maria said, as

she entered the dining room, Leisl at her side. "Oh, it was no problem,

Fraulein. After all, this is to be expected from a young woman like you, is it

not?" The captain said, with a twinkle in his eyes. The children giggled. The

governess stared at the captain for a moment, her mouth agape. Then she

realized that he was teasing her, so she smiled, and agreed. "Yes, sir." She

then walked to her place at the other side of the table. "Well," The Captain

said, once Maria was seated. "Would you like to say grace for us, Fraulein?"

Maria nodded, and said, "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord

make us truly grateful. Amen." "AMEN" Echoed the others. The clanging of

plates, forks and spoons filled the room, as the children were very hungry

from the delayed start of dinner. The Captain and Fraulein were

uncomfortable with the silence of the room, so the Captain cleared his

throat. "Children, I decided that it's about time I do something special with

you, to make up for the past few years. So, I'm going to take you all to see

"The Magic Flute" in concert next week. I've reserved tickets, and you are

all invited." The children looked at each other excitedly, no longer thinking

about food. "Father," Brigitta said. "Can Fraulein Maria come along?" The

Captain looked shocked. "Of course, Brigitta! I can't imagine what it would

be like if I have to watch all seven of you without Fraulein Maria! That is, if

your fraulein wants to go." He looked at Fraulein Maria, who was looking at

them as if they were crazy. "Of Course I'll go! I've always wanted to watch

it as a little girl, but I never got a chance to." "Well, it's settled then! Now,

before you kids explode with excitement, please eat some food! "Yes father"

The children chorused.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Wow! That was incredible!" The children chattered excitedly about the

play as they walked out of the theatre. As the children talked among

themselves, the captain and Maria were talking quietly. They had been

getting better acquainted in the past week since their argument, and were

becoming better friends. "How did you like it, Fraulein?" The Captain

asked. "I liked it very much!" Maria said enthusiastically. "When I was a

little girl, I always dreamed of putting on my own puppet show, just like my

friends did." She laughed at the memory. The captain, however, looked

thoughtful. "Well, Fraulein, how about if I make your dream come true?"

"Oh captain! Putting on a puppet show requires an exceeding amount of

money, and I do not want you to spend that much money on something

unimportant." The governess protested. The Captain put up his hand to stop

her from saying anymore. "Please, Fraulein. If anything, I would be more

than happy to do something for you, as a thank you gift to you. Please allow

me to?" Fraulein Maria smiles, and says, "Well, alright. Thank you very

much, Captain. I think I have an idea of what to do with the puppet show."

"PUPPET SHOW! What puppet show? Who's doing a puppet show?" The

Captain and Maria were showered with questions from the children.

"Children, CHILDREN! Please calm down. When Fraulein Maria wants to

tell you, she'll tell you. Now, everyone in the car!" The children groaned,

but did as they were told. When they got back home, the children went up

the stairs to go get ready for dinner. Fraulein Maria was just going to go up

as well when the captain stopped her. "Would you like to tell the children

about the puppet show? Or should I tell them?" "Well, we could both tell

them, if you would like to," Fraulein Maria said, smiling. Smiling back, the

Captain said "I would be delighted to." They smiled at each other for a

moment before Maria said, "Well, I better check on the children. I hope they

haven't gotten into a fight!" Laughing, the Captain went to the dining room

to talk to Frau Schmidt.

_I know it's a short chapter, but I tend to do short chapters, so bear with me. _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Children, it's 7:00! You don't want to be late for dinner do you?" Maria

asked. "Oh no Fraulein Maria. Let's go!" Shouted Marta. Running, the

children and Maria arrived at the dining room 40 seconds late. "Well, Well,

children. Late again? Is it the fault of your governess here?" Captain said,

with a trace of humor in his voice. Fraulein Maria and the children just

laughed. "Yes," Maria said, with a twinkle in her eye. "It was ALL my

fault" Laughing, the Captain said, "Aha, I knew it!" Shaking his head, he

said, "Well, shall we get started on eating the delicious dinner that Frau

Schmidt had made for us." Eagerly, everyone scrambled to their seats,

prayed, and gobbled down their meal. While dessert was being served,

Maria cleared her throat. "Children, your father and I have something to tell

you." Looking at the captain, she said, "Captain, would you like to tell them

what it is?" The Captain said, "Sure. Well, Fraulein and I were talking, and

she would like to put on a puppet show. I don't know any of the details, so

Fraulein Maria can take over from here." Laughing, Maria continued. "Yes,

well, I was hoping that you children would help me prepare a puppet show,

and then we could perform it for your father." "YEAH!" The children

exclaimed. "Well, that was quick!" Maria chuckled. "Let's get started right

away! We should go up to the nursery, where your father won't hear us."

Giving the captain a pointed stare, she and the children left the room.

Amused, the Captain shook his head, and went to his study.

Upstairs…

"Fraulein Maria?" Asked Gretl. "Yes, Gretl." Maria replied. "What are we

going to be doing for the puppet show?" Maria said, "I'm not sure yet, Gretl.

What would you like to do for the puppet show?" Gretl thought for a

moment. "I'm not sure. What would the others like to do?" She said turning

to her brothers and sisters. "Well, why don't we do an imitation of _The _

_Magic Flute_?" Louisa suggested. "I'm afraid that is too complicated for us,

Louisa." Maria said gently. "Any other ideas?" Walking up to Maria, little

Marta tugged at her sleeve. "Yes, Marta?" Maria asked. "Why don't we do

_The Lonely Goatherd?_" Marta suggested shyly. "Yeah!" The other children

exclaimed. Maria nodded approvingly. "That's a wonderful idea, Marta!"

Maria praised her. Marta smiled proudly. "Now then," Maria began. "We

can't really get started without the puppet material." The children groaned.

"But! In the meantime, we could go on a picnic. How does that sound?"

"OK!" The children scrambled out of the nursery to get ready. Fraulein

Maria walked out to get ready herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fraulein Maria quickly went down the stairs to let the Captain know that

they were going to go on a picnic. She knocked on the door to his study.

"Come in." She heard him say. Gently, she opened the door and peeked

inside. "Oh fraulein!" The Captain said, smiling. "Come on in." Maria

smiled and went inside. She walked to the Captain's desk, where he was

sitting. "I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I took the children

up to the mountains for a picnic. They tend to enjoy it." "I have no problem

with that. In fact, I think that I might want to join you. If you don't mind."

The Captain questioned. "That would be wonderful! The children would like

that so much!" Maria exclaimed. Chuckling, the Captain said, "Well then its

settled. When did you want to leave?" "Well," Maria said. "I was

hoping…right after the children finished their lessons." Nodding, the captain

said, "That's fine. I'll get ready now. Shall I meet you in half an hour?"

"Sounds good." Maria said, turning to go. "Oh Fraulein." "Yes Captain?"

"Thank you for allowing me to come along. I'm curious to see what is so fun

about all these picnics you all go to." Captain said grinning. Smiling

mysteriously, Maria said, "No problem! And really, you'll find out soon

enough." With that, she left the study.

Half an hour later…. "Is everyone ready to go?" Maria asked. "YEA!"

Everyone yelled. Laughing, they left for the mountains.

Up on the mountain top… "Who wants to play tag?" Yelled Frederick.

"ME!" The other children yelled back. While the children played tag, the

governess and the naval captain sat down to talk. Maria loved talking to the

Captain, as the captain loved talking to Maria. They seemed to understand

each other so well. "This is a wonderful place to be." Said the Captain. 'Yes,

it is, isn't it?" Maria said, smiling. "Its so calm and peaceful, like the villa."

Laughing, the Captain said, "oh I don't find it too peaceful back at the villa.

The children tend to take all the peacefulness away." "Oh! Don't be so hard

on them!" Scolded Maria teasingly. "Well, you shouldn't be too easy on

them!" The Captain teased back. They laughed together. When it quieted

down, a sudden peace settled between the two. Maria began weaving

together flowers. The captain just watched the children play with a peaceful

look on his face. _They look so happy. _He thought. _Thank goodness Maria _

_came when she did. _He turned to her, intending on thanking her. But for

some reason, he couldn't. He was too startled by her beauty. In the sunlight,

with a peaceful look on her face, she looked beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous.

Her skin glowed, her blue eyes shining, golden hair gleaming. _Why didn't I _

_notice it before? _He wondered.

_There it is! Hope it was good ) Tell me what I can improve on! Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"What do you think?" Asked Maria, holding out the weaved flowers. "HM?"

The captain said absentminded. "I said "What do you think?" Maria repeated

a little louder. "Oh yes. Umm, very nice." The Captain said. Looking

puzzled, Maria said, "Well, it's getting late. We should go now." "Yeah, ok"

The Captain said. Getting up, the two got up and called the children. When

the children packed their things, they went back home.

Later that night……..

Knock.Knock. "Come in." Said the Captain from his study. Opening the

door, whoever opened the door was none other than… _Maria_. "Hi!" She said

cheerfully. "I just finished putting the children to bed." "I see." The Captain

replied. "Did you want something?" "No, I just wanted to come and talk. We

didn't really get a chance to talk earlier today. We got caught up in all the

peacefulness." Laughing, the Captain said, "True, Fraulein, very true. Well,

sit down." Maria grinned, and sat down, and they had a very long talk

between two friends. The next morning, Maria woke up to hear the sounds

of the children squealing. Maria got up to investigate, but the children burst

into her room. "What's all the excitement?" Maria said, smiling. "Father

said that the puppet show has arrived! We can start rehearsing, Fraulein!"

Bubbled Gretl with excitement. Laughing, Maria picked her up, and tickled

her. "OH really!" Giggling, Gretl squirmed out of her arms. "Well, why

don't we go down for breakfast." Maria said, glancing at the clock. "We

don't want to be late, do we?" "NO WAY!" Said Kurt. "Naturally, Kurt."

Teased Maria. The other children laughed while Kurt just smiled. Together,

the seven children and their governess walked down the stairs to the dining

room where their father was waiting for them, along with a special surprise.

_Sorry it took so long to update…_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The children went downstairs to the dining room where their father was

waiting for them, along with a special surprise. As soon as they entered the

dining room, they all gasped in surprise. "Uncle Max!" The children

shouted in unison. "Surprise surprise!" The captain said. Laughing, the

children ran up to their 'uncle' and embraced him. Meanwhile, the governess

just stood there dumbfounded. When Max looked up from the circle of

children surrounding him, he looked dumbfounded as well. "Max?" A

confused Maria said. "Maria!" Max echoed in disbelief. Maria slowly

nodded. Grinning, she ran over to him and embraced him as well. Now it

was the children's and their father's turn to look shocked. "You two…know

each other?" Asked the Captain. Max laughed. "Yes. You see, we were

neighbors when we were children. We were also very good pals. Weren't

we, Maria?" Giggling, Maria said, "We certainly were. But then, Max

moved away, and we haven't seen each other ever since." Turning to Max,

she whispered, "I missed you." "I missed you too." Max whispered back.

"Well, why don't we have breakfast now, hmm?" The Captain said.

Obediently, the children, Maria, and Max went to sit in their places at the

table. While the children, Maria and Max talked to each other excitedly,

catching up on each other's lives, the Captain eat silently. _So Maria and Max _

_know each other. Quite well in fact. In my opinion, they must have been _

_more than just "friends". The way they look at each other is disgusting. _

_Maria never looks at me that way, and I'm her friend as well!_ Thought the

Captain. Looking at Maria and Max laughing and having a good time

without him made him feel uneasy. The way Maria looked at Max, the way

her eyes sparkled whenever she laughed at something he said. It all drove

him crazy. Leisl took a sip of her glass, and looked at her dad. _He looked _

_very unhappy, _she observed. _I wonder why? I'm going to have to keep an eye _

_on him. _She thought, turning her attention back to Maria, and Max. The

captain noticed Leisl observing him. _I hope she doesn't figure out what's _

_wrong with me. It would be so embarrassing if she asks me anything._

"Captain," He heard a faint voice from the other side of the room. Looking

up, he saw Maria talking to him. "Yes?" He questioned, glad that he had

heard her, and not have acted like an idiot. "Would it be alright if the

children and I leave the table now, and go do our lessons?" She asked

sweetly. "Of course, Fraulein." _What a relief. _Nodding, Maria and the

children left for the nursery. "Well, that just leaves us." Max said, brightly.

"You never told me that Maria was your governess!" "Well, I didn't think

you would want to know about governesses and all that." The Captain

responded in a teasing tone. Laughing, Max said, "well, I'm interested in

this particular one." "How do you know each other?" The Captain asked.

"Oh, Georg, I told you already. We were neighbors." "What I mean is, were

you two close?" "Oh. Well, yeah we were. But then, I moved away, and we

lost touch. I'm very glad that you brought me over here. Otherwise, we

wouldn't have met again. Thank you." Max said solemnly. _Great. Now he's _

_making me feel guilty for feeling uneasy at seeing them together. _"Sure,

Max. Sure" The captain said. "So, what do we do now?" "Would you like to

go into town with me? I want to visit some other friends." "Uh, you could go

by yourself. I think I'll stay inside today." "Are you sure you're yourself

today?" Teased Max. "You usually jump at the opportunity to go out

somewhere." Laughing, the Captain said, "I'm fine. Go ahead, and have a

good time." "I will. Have fun here, Georg." With that, Max left.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Fraulein Maria, can you help me here?" Asked Marta. "Hold on, Marta. I'll

be there in just a moment. "Fraulein, can you help ME?" Gretl whined.

Exasperated, Maria said, "Hold on Gretl. After I go to Marta, I'll go to you."

"Fraulein, can I go to the washroom?" Brigitta asked cautiously. Poor

Fraulein Maria looked so confused. Leisl quick action. "Brigitta, go to the

washroom. Gretl, I'll help you. Fraulein, you can go help Marta now."

Looking at Leisl gratefully, Maria went over to Marta who was waiting

patiently. "What is it, Marta?" Maria gently asked the child. "I don't know

how to do this math problem. Could you help me?" "Of course Marta."

Maria replied. With that, the two bent over Marta's work. Soon, the nursery

was quiet. Maria, satisfied with Marta's work, looked relieved. Finally,

when the time was up for the children's work to be done, she said, "All right

children. You can put your books away. It is time for rehearsals!" "Yay!"

The children cheered. They quickly cleaned up, and then gathered around

Maria for instructions. "Now, children." Maria said. "We know that we're

doing the 'Lonely Goatherd'. You all know how it goes right?" RIGHT!"

The children chorused. "Good. So, I think we'll begin by assigning parts to

everyone." Crossing the room to fetch a pen and paper, she said, "Ok. Who

wants to work the puppets?" All the children's hands went up. "Oh dear. I

forgot that there are only enough puppets for the 5 of you to do." The

children's shoulders slumped. "But," Maria continued. "I know that there are

other parts that are just as important, or, even MORE important." The

children's faces perked up at that. "So, I think that the 5 older children will

work the puppets, since it will be easier. AS for Marta and Gretl, you two

will have the IMPORTANT duty of making sure that your siblings are doing

the moves right, AND you will be arranging the scenes. Does that sound

good, everyone?" "I Like it!" "Me too!" "I am SO important." Voices came

from everywhere. Smiling, Maria said, "Well its settled. Shall we get

started?" The children yelled, "Yeah!"

2 weeks later….

"That was brilliant, children!" Exclaimed the Captain. "You are all going to

be famous one day! Laughing, Maria said, "Oh, I'm sure that the children

will be able to make it to fame, but I don't know about me." "Nonsense!"

Max exclaimed. He had come over to see the puppet show. "You are just as

marvelous." Giggling, Maria said teasingly, "why thank you Max. You

definitely haven't lost your sense of humor OR your interesting charm." The

captain laughed at this, although he wasn't too happy about the fact that

Maria and Max were, yet again, so comfortable together. He knew that

they were just friends, but he still suspected something more between them.

_I mean, how could they not? Maria is beautiful, and I can tell that Maria _

_adores Max. She likes teasing him. She teases me, but not in the way that she _

_teases Max._ "Children, who shall we hear from, next?" Maria's voice came

ringing into his ears. The children whispered into her ears. Maria looked

shocked at what they suggested, but the Captain didn't know that it was

HIM they had chosen. Walking up to the captain, Maria said, "The vote is

unanimous. You, Captain." The Captain was shocked. "Me? I don't think

so." "Please? I'm told that you were very good." Was Maria's response.

"Well that was a VERY long time ago." The captain shot back. "oh, please

father!" All the children said in their sweet voices. "All right." The Captain

said with a sigh. He could never seem to resist them when they asked him as

sweetly as they just did. Taking the guitar from Leisl, he began singing

Edelweiss. While he played, he could see his children's faces as they

watched him play. He smiled at Brigitta, then Marta. They smiled back.

Continuing the song, he started thinking of the lyrics, and how it reminded

him of Maria. Turning to her, he gazed at her, trying to send some sort of

message into her eyes, saying that he was singing the song to her. Maria,

however, when he gazed at her for more than a while, began feeling

uncomfortable in his unwavering gaze. She began fidgeting, looking at the

ground while blushing furiously. When the song finally ended, she looked

up, only to met up by the Captain, who had not moved his gaze from her.

She looked away to Max, who was watching this exchange with amusement.

He spoke. "All you have to do is say the word, Georg, and you can be a part

of my new act." Breaking his gaze from Maria, he laughed nervously. He

didn't know what to make of what he noticed Maria doing- avoiding his

gaze. Maria gave a sigh of relief after the Captain turned away from her. She

didn't want him to stare at her. He looked like he was in a trance when he

stared at her. She didn't like it one bit. Breaking away from her thoughts, the

Captain said, "Well, that's enough for one night. I think its about time the

children went to bed." Flushing, Maria said, "oh yes. I'm sorry sir. Come

children." Groaning, the children said goodnight to their father and uncle

max, and went up the stairs, with Maria tailing them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After Maria put the children to bed, she walked downstairs, in hope of

having a chance to talk to Max. They hadn't had the chance to talk alone at

all since he's arrived. When she looked in the living room where she had left

the two adults, she found Max sitting there. "Hey Max. Where's the

Captain?" Looking up, he grinned. "He's out taking a walk." "By himself?"

Maria questioned. Laughing, Max said, "of course!" Maria shrugged. "Ok.

Good. We haven't talked privately in ages! How have you been?" "Ahh, the

same as usual. You know me. I don't like changes, so I tend to do the same

thing over and over again." Max said with a twinkle in his eyes. Grinning,

Maria said, "Oh yes….why did I ask?" "Because you like to bother me."

Max joked. "That's true. But, seriously. There must have been

SOMETHING different that you do now that you didn't do before?" "Well,

actually there is ONE thing." Maria looked at him expectantly. "Which is?"

"Eating much more than I used to!" They both burst out laughing. This is

how they spent the rest of the night- just laughing at something the other

said. The next morning, Maria woke up late- again. "Oh no!" Maria groaned.

Getting up, she dressed in record time, and hurried down the stairs. "I'm

sorry I'm late, children…." She started to say, when she noticed that no one

was there. _Where is everyone? How come the dining room is empty when _

_they usually have breakfast? _She wondered. Walking back to the stairs, she

checked the nursery. Nothing. She checked out the window. Nothing. She

went back downstairs, confused as ever. _Wait! I haven't checked the living _

_room! _Dashing to the living room, she was shocked by the sudden

"SURPRISE!" Out came the seven von Trapp children, the Captain, and

Max. They were all grinning broadly, waiting for her to say something.

"What's going on? Is there a special occasion or something that I forgot? It's

not my birthday." Chuckling, Max said, "silly maria. Of course it's your

birthday! Did you forget? It's January 5." Suddenly, Maria gasped. "Oh

yes. I completely forgot! But how did you know? I don't remember telling

any of you when my birthday was." "My dear, may I remind you that I was

your childhood friend." Max reminded happily. "I was invited to a lot of

your birthday parties, remember?" "Oh yes," Maria said laughing. "Thank

you all!" She gave all the children a hug. Turning to Max, she said, "Max,

you're the best." Laughing, Max said, "It wasn't my idea. It was the

captain." Looking at the Captain, Maria said, "Oh….well, thank you

Captain. It was awfully sweet of you to do that." With that, she gave him a

quick kiss on the cheek. Looking pleased, the captain could do nothing but

smile. "Well, now that Fraulein is here, why don't we sing happy birthday to

her now?" He suggested. Everyone sang, "Happy birthday to you, Happy

birthday to you, happy birthday dear fraulein Maria, happy birthday to you."

The children clapped and cheered. Leisl brought a lovely chocolate cake to

Maria, who blew the candles. "This is the best birthday ever, " Maria said,

smiling widely. "Thank you so much! But now, I think its about time

everyone come in the dining room to have a real breakfast. Hmm?" Kurt

said, "Good idea!" He ran into the dining room. Everyone else just laughed

and followed him. Maria stayed back, however, till she and the captain were

the only two in the room. "Captain," She said softly. Looking at her, the

Captain said, "yes?" "thank you again. I'm so blessed to have a friend like

you." Maria said, sincerely. She realized that she had taken him for granted

when Max arrived. "And I'm sorry if we haven't had a chance to talk since

Max arrived here." Smiling, the Captain said, "It's alright, Fraulein. I know

that you were probably just excited about having your old friend come back

to you. I probably would have done the same thing." Grinning, Maria said,

"Well, thank you for understanding." The captain could only stare at her

with a smile on his face. Maria fidgeted under his gaze. After a while, the

Captain said, "After you," He gestured with his hand for her to go first. She

quickly left, soon followed by the Captain.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

When everyone settled at the table, Maria said grace, and they started eating.

The food was delicious, so no one really felt like talking. By the time the

meal was over, everyone had a full stomach, Kurt included. "So, Kurt. Are

you full?" Maria asked mischievously. "Oh yes, Fraulein." Kurt said with a

grin. Everyone laughed. Frederick muttered, "Good. I can't stand to hear

another word from him about being hungry." The captain gave him a pointed

stare, to which Frederick became quiet to. "Well, since it is Fraulein Maria's

birthday today, I suggest we give her a day off, and let her do whatever she

wants. I'll take care of the children today." The captain said. Maria looked

surprised. "But sir," She began to say, but the Captain held up his hand. "No

buts! You will enjoy today without the company of the children. You can do

whatever you like." "Thank you sir." Maria said. "Max, would you like to

spend the day with me today?" She asked smiling brightly. The Captain's

cheerful look disappeared. He had completely forgotten that Max was there.

_How could I forget? If Maria gets the day off, she would obviously need _

_someone to hang with, and who would it be, but her own friend, Max _

_Detweiler. What have I done? _But looking at Maria's bright smile made him

realize that if he wanted Maria to have fun on her birthday, she would hang

with anyone she pleases. Turning his attention back to the present, he saw

that Max seemed reluctant to go out. Maria was begging him to go, but he

still said no. Maria sighed and said, "See, that's why we fought so many

times when we were younger. We have **way** little things in common."

Grinning, Max said, "True, but we are always there for each other, right? No

matter what other people say, we know that we have each other's backs )"

"Right" Maria said, her face lighting again. "Well, I suppose if you don't

want to go, maybe one of the children could come with me?" She asked

turning to the Captain. The captain looked surprised. "Are you sure you

want one of the children to come along? The whole purpose of a day off is to

get away." Laughing, Maria said, "It's always my pleasure to take care of

your children, Captain. I would be honored to have one of your wonderful

children come with me." Smiling, the Captain said, "Very well. You can do

whatever you want. So, who do you want to bring?" Maria replied, "OH, I

can't choose. They are all wonderful, so… maybe the one who I haven't had

a chance to spend much time with lately." Scanning the children, Maria

realized that she hadn't spent too much time with Marta lately. The sweet

girl was so sweet but quiet, that she sometimes got ignored because of the

other children, especially Gretl. "Marta?" Maria asked. "Yes, Fraulein

Maria?" Marta asked, startled. "Would you like to accompany me to town

for the day?" Marta's face broke into a huge smile. "Yes, Fraulein. I would

like that." "Well then it's settled. Come on, Marta, let's go get ready, shall

we?" Maria said. Marta obediently followed her governess upstairs to her

room. "Now, Marta," Maria began. "What dress would you like to wear?"

Marta's brown eyes swept her closet. "That one" She finally said, pointing

to a pink frilly dress. Maria smiled approvingly, "That's a fine dress to wear

to town." Marta beamed, and Maria took the dress from the closet, and

helped Marta get dressed. Then the two ladies went to Maria's room where

Maria chose a dress to wear, and they went downstairs. After saying bye to

everyone, they left the house. "What are we going to be doing in town,

Fraulein?" Marta asked innocently. "Well," Maria said. "Maybe we could go

look at the many stores there. Would you like that?" "oh yes!" Marta said

enthusiastically. Maria chuckled, eager to do something special for the sweet

girl that was so easy to please. "Well, then let's go to the town!" As soon as

they arrived in Salzburg, Maria went to a clothes store, especially for girls.

"Now, Marta. Since you've been the most polite child out of all your

siblings, and you haven't complained about anything, I would like to reward

you with your own new dress!" Marta's mouth dropped. "Really!" She

asked in disbelief. Laughing, Maria said, "really" She brushed the bangs out

of the little girl's face. "Oh thank you, Fraulein Maria!" Marta said happily.

She gave her governess a big bear hug. Maria hugged the child back. "Now,

enough chitchat. Let's go look at the store for some nice material for your

dress!" Eagerly, Marta ran into the store with Maria following close behind.

"Oh, Marta." Maria said. Marta turned. "Promise that you won't say a word

about you getting a new dress in front of the others? Especially Gretl? I

don't want them to be jealous of you, and get mad at you." Solemnly, Marta

nodded. "But what if they ask me where I got the new dress?" Marta asked

softly. Maria thought for a moment. "Well, just make sure that you don't

wear it until everyone else got something new, ok? Just wear the new dress

for a ball or something. By then, everyone would have a new dress."

Beaming, Marta said, "Ok" Satisfied that Marta wouldn't say another word,

she told Marta, "Ok, let's go into the store to find you some material!" Marta

giggled and followed her beloved Fraulein inside.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Meanwhile, back at the villa, Captain Von Trapp was playing tag in the back

yard with his children. He was having fun, but he was tired, so he decided to

rest for a while. "Children!" He called. "I'm going to take a rest for a bit."

"Ok, Father." His children answered back. The Captain walked to the bench

in front of the gazebo and sat down, daydreaming of Maria and what she was

doing with his little Marta. However, he was too busy daydreaming to notice

that Gretl was right in front of him until his daughter called, "Father!"

Captain flew out of his daydreaming to find his youngest daughter looking at

him frowning. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't see you there." Gretl's frown

softened a bit. "Now, why did you want to talk to me?" Asked the Captain.

Sighing, Gretl said, "Why does Marta get to go to town with Fraulein Maria

and I don't? I'm just as nice, and cute as Marta is. Actually, I'm nicer and

cuter than HER." Gretl grumbled. The Captain raised his eyebrow. _Ah the _

_case of jealousy. _"Well sweetheart," He began gently. "Fraulein Maria

hasn't had the chance to spend too much time with Marta because she was

always busy doing other things. Marta is very shy and quiet and would not

dare to ask for more attention than necessary. Fraulein Maria is just giving

Marta a bit of attention." "But, why can't she give Marta attention AND

bring me along too! I like going with Fraulein Maria too!" Gretl said

pouting. The Captain gave a sigh. "Sweetheart, it would be a little difficult if

Fraulein Maria had to pay attention to both of you! Besides, don't you like

spending time with your father?" He asked with a fake offended look on his

face. "Oh, of course I like spending time with you, Father!" Gretl exclaimed.

"I guess I just don't like it when Marta gets things that I don't get."

Laughing, the Captain said, "Well, it's normal to feel that way, Gretl. But

you shouldn't let that ruin your happiness, right?" He poked her nose,

causing her to giggle. "Now," The Captain said. "Why don't we join your

brothers and sisters and play tag!" Gretl nodded, and the captain lifted her up

and brought her over to the other children, where they played tag.

At the store:

Marta was busily trying to find a nice new material for a dress, but she was

so confused. There were so many lovely choices to choose from. Maria

said, "How about this one darling?" She held out a pink satin material , that

shined brilliantly. Marta's eyes widened. Maria laughed. "Well, do you like

it?" Marta finally looked up. "Yes, Fraulein Maria. But I don't know if I like

that one the best. There are SO many different materials to choose from!

What if I take the wrong one and I can't choose another?" Marta said

tearfully. Marta quickly bent down and gave Marta a hug. "Don't you worry,

Marta. I'm sure that if it's you that needs a dress, you'll find the perfect one

for yourself." Maria comforted. Marta perked up at her words. "Do you

really think so?" Maria chuckled. "Really. Now, how about we choose the

perfect one hmm?" Marta nodded determinedly. She looked at all the

different choices, and asked Maria, "Fraulein?" Maria looked at her and

said, "yes, darling?" Marta said shyly, "Which one do YOU think looks best

on me?" Maria skimmed the materials. She walked to the row of materials,

and picked up a pretty yellow material that was made of satin. "I think that

would suit you." Maria suggested. Marta looked at it and said, " So do I."

Marta grinned. Maria smiled and said, "Well its settled! But, you can't just

have that on your dress. We'll take some extra darker yellow material for

shoulder puffs, and for the sash as well." Marta agreed solemnly. "Ok."

Maria quickly gathered the material and purchased it. When they walked out

of the store, Marta said, "Thank you so much, Fraulein Maria." Maria said,

"It was my pleasure, Marta."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Well, Marta, what do you want to do now?" Maria asked as they walked

away from the store. Marta thought for a moment. "Can we have lunch now?

I'm starving!" Marta asked. Maria laughed. "Of course, darling! This is your

day today." Marta curiously said, "I thought it was YOUR day today. It is

your birthday today, after all." Maria smiled and said, "Darling I thank you

for your concern, but I'm happy if you are happy." "Ok, Fraulein Maria. Can

we eat now?" Chuckling, Maria said, "Certainly. Why don't we go to that

restaurant." As a birthday present, Maria had gotten some money from the

Captain and the children. Marta smiled excitedly. "Ok!" She pulled Maria's

hand to the restaurant. Maria cried, "Woah, slow down partner!" Marta

grinned sheepishly. "Sorry." "It's ok." Maria said, "Why don't we both just

hurry now?" They both took off to the restaurant.

Meanwhile, back at the house…

"Father, I'm bored!" "Father, I'm hungry!" "Father, Frederick keeps on

bothering me!" Cries from everywhere gave the Captain a headache. In less

than a few hours, the children grew bored. _How did Maria do this?_

"Children, please! Can't you all calm down? We'll have lunch in a second. I

just have to go to my study to call someone regarding my party." Heads

immediately popped up. "What party?" "What are you talking about?" The

captain pretended to be surprised. "What? Don't you remember? I told you

all about it." "No you didn't," Louisa argued. The other children agreed.

"yeah!" The captain suppressed a smile. "Alright, Alright. I didn't tell you

about it. I wanted it to be a surprise, but then I forgot that I didn't tell you,

when you all were overwhelming me." He looked pointedly at the older

children. They looked sheepish. "So, about the party. I was thinking that

since it's almost Leisl's birthday, and its about time she got presented to

society, Leisl deserves a party of her own. So, I made some arrangements for

a ball on Leisl's birthday." The children gasped. Leisl's face was one of

complete joy. "Really, father? I'm ready to be presented to society?" Leisl

breathed. The Captain nodded, smiling. "You're growing up." Leisl went up

to her father and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you." Leisl whispered.

"You're welcome." He whispered back. "Now, who wants lunch? I'll call

later." "Me!" Was the children's answer. Laughing, the happy family went

to lunch.

Back at the restaurant:

"Marta, do you like your food?" Maria asked. They had ordered their food

and were now gobbling it up. "Yes, Fraulein. Thank you." Marta beamed.

Maria smiled. They continued eating their lunch, in silence until Maria said,

"Marta, do you ever feel left out with Gretl or your other siblings?"

Maria had meant to ask this question for a long time. She just never had the

opportunity to, because there was always a disruption. She knew, from

previous experience, that shy children could sometimes feel overshadowed

by other people less timid. Now, as she looked at Marta, her face changed.

"Marta?" Maria gently urged. Marta looked down, fiddling with her fingers.

Finally, she said, "yes, Fraulein Maria." A tear fell down on her face as she

spoke. Maria's heart ached to see a little girl whom she grew to love like her

own. Getting up, she went over to the girl, and wrapped her arms around her

in a comforting hug. Marta began sobbing uncontrollably. Maria just held

her, whispering words of comfort to her. After a while, Marta's crying

stopped. Maria asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" Marta was quiet for a

moment. After that, she let it all out. "Oh, Fraulein. It seems like no matter

how hard I try, I'll always be different from Liesl and Frederick, and Louisa

and Kurt, and Brigitta and Gretl. Even you, Fraulein! They all pay attention

to Gretl, but they hardly do to me! Sure, they ask me what I want, and Liesl

takes my hand when I hardly can keep up, but it seems like they care about

Gretl more than me! Like one time, when we went bike riding, I was a little

behind everyone else, and everyone just kept on telling me to hurry up! But

then when Gretl had trouble keeping up with us, they just laughed and pulled

her along." Marta started to look teary again. Maria put her arm around

Marta. "Oh, Marta! I'm SO sorry. I should have paid more attention to you.

It's just that Gretl is the youngest, and she can't take care of herself like you

can." Startled, Marta said, " she can't?" Smiling, Maria said, "no! But YOU

can!" Slowly, Marta said, "I guess I can. Gretl always seems to have trouble

putting on her dresses." She grinned. Laughing, Maria said, "That's true.

But, Marta, don't EVER feel like your brothers and sisters care about Gretl

more than you. I think that they sometimes forget that you're still little, and

that you need attention, like Gretl does. They think you're so big already,

and mature for your age that you'll be able to fend for yourself!" Marta

looked at Fraulein Maria with her big brown eyes. "Do you really think so,

Fraulein?" She asked. Giving Marta a kiss on the cheek, she said, "I know

so! Now, how about we go back to the house, hmm? They're all probably

wondering where we are!" Nodding happily, Marta got up, and together,

hand in hand, left for the house.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Oh, Fraulein, Marta, you're back!" The children all yelled as soon as Maria

and Marta appeared at the front door. The captain heard all the noise and

went to investigate. He was delighted to see his daughter and lovely fraulein

at the door. Fraulein Maria and Marta greeted them. "Hi!" Marta said,

cheerfully. "What did you guys do while we were gone? We went shopping,

and went out for lunch. Oh, and we ran into a friend of Maria's. What's her name again?" Marta turned to Maria. "Mary Poppins" Maria answered, grinning. "I haven't seen her in so long, so I thought that if it was alright with you, captain, "She said turning to the captain. "to bring her over for dinner sometime?" The captain nodded understandingly. "Of course! Any friend of yours is welcome in this family." He replied reassuringly. Maria looked relieved and grateful. "Thank you sir." Turning to the children again, she said, "Now, how about we go to the nursery, and you can all tell me about your day." The children agreed. Just before they left, the captain remembered something. "OH, Fraulein, children, your puppet show has arrived." "Oh thank you, Captain." Maria said, grinning. "Uh, where is it now?" Chuckling, the Captain said, "Inside the ballroom." Without another word, the children and their governess sped to the ballroom where their puppet show was waiting. The captain shook his head in amusement, but followed. When he arrived at the doorway, he saw that his children and Maria were rummaging through the box with the puppets. "Look, Fraulein Maria! We could use these for the goats." Gretl said excitedly. She held up in her hand a puppet in the form of a goat. Fraulein Maria smiled, and said, "Yes, Gretl. We can. Now, everyone! We must start practicing. We can probably perform it in about 3 weeks time. Shall we start?" Maria's question was answered by the loud voices of the children saying, "YEA!" "Well, let's get to work!" Maria said brightly. "Now, as I said a couple days ago, the little ones are going to be dealing with the background scenes. Marta, Gretl, I will show you what you'll need to do later. Right now, you two can help me organize everything ok?" Both girls nodded, feeling proud that they were given such a good responsibility. The Captain had been listening this whole time, and at the looks of his young daughters' faces, he couldn't help but laugh. Maria heard this, as the children did. "FATHER!" The children yelped. "This is a surprise! Go away!" "You never told me that!" The Captain said defensively. Maria came to his defense. "That's true, children. We never did tell him." The Captain looked at her gratefully. _What a woman! She's sweet, thoughtful, loving towards the children, too bad she'll have to leave in September!_ His thoughts were interrupted by his children apologizing to him. He smiled lovingly at them and said, "it's ok. I'll go now." With that, he left. Fraulein Maria continued. "Liesl, Frederick, Louisa, Brigitta, you five will deal with the actual puppets. So, just to make things easier, I'll divide the parts." She paused, searching the children's faces for objection. AS she went through each face, to her relief she didn't find any. She continued. "Brigitta, you will be playing the baby goat, and I have a special solo for you, since I know that you want to practice singing. This will be a great opportunity for you. Frederick, you will play the lonely goatherd, and one of those soldiers over there. Liesl, you will play one of the soldiers, the female goat, and the girl. Louisa, I'll need you to fill in the rest, ok? Is that ok with everyone?" To her relief, everyone nodded, though Louisa looked a little reluctant. "Good. Now then, it looks like it's nearly dinner, so we should get ready for it. Everyone, to your rooms!" The children needed no urging. They rushed to their rooms, and got ready. When they got ready, they went downstairs to the dining room, where their father was waiting. "Good evening, children!" The captain said cheerfully. "Evening, father!" The children responded excitedly. "Wait till you see our puppet show! It's going to be amazing." Gretl said smugly. Laughing, the Captain went over to his daughter and gave her a hug. "Oh, I'm sure it is, darling. I'm sure it is."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

By the time Maria got downstairs for dinner, everyone was already there. _Obviously. I'm always the last one to the table._ Maria thought wryly. "Good evening, Captain!" The Captain turned to her, glad to hear her voice again. "Evening, Fraulein. I trust that the puppet show is going well?" Fraulein Maria grinned. "Of course!" She said, walking over to her seat. After they said grace, Maria asked the children how their day was. "Oh, it was ok, Fraulein. I mean, it was fun at first, because we played tag, but then after that, we got bored." Liesl said. Laughing, Maria looked over to the captain, who was busy eating his food. "Looks like the high-ranking sea captain failed to keep his children busy!" Maria said teasingly. The Captain looked up from his food and smiled. "Yes. Unfortunately, my seven children are no match for a man MY age." The children looked a little sheepish. "I guess we wore you out a little, didn't we, Father." Brigitta said guiltily. The Captain snorted. "A little? Haha, you call that a little? You children kept on complaining I couldn't get anything done!" He said, with a trace of humor in his voice. The children laughed. Maria spoke up. "You're not the only one that thinks that. I, myself sometimes feel overwhelmed when it comes to your children." The two adults shared a smile. The children were starting to look really guilty. The Captain noticed this and laughed. "Oh children, I was only joking. You all are a pleasure to spend time with." Kurt, looking relieved like the rest of his siblings, said, "I knew that!" "Sure…" Everyone chorused. They all laughed, enjoying the company of each other. The Captain, especially was glad to hear Maria's tinkling laugh that seemed to stand out. _Everything about her stands out. _He thought, looking at her as she sat there chatting with his children. _The way her eyes shine when she's happy. The sound of her voice. Even her clothes seem to shine, no matter how ugly the dress is. _Sighing in contentment, he came back to reality. "We're having a party, Marta." Gretl was saying. Marta's eyes widened. "For what!" "I think I know." Maria said thoughtfully. "Is it a party presenting Liesl Von Trapp to society?" The children looked at her in astonishment. "How did you know?" Marta asked. Laughing, Maria said, "Well, let's just say that your father mentioned it to me a couple of days ago." The other children turned to their father. "Father? Is that true?" The Captain nodded. "Yes. I thought that Fraulein Maria could maybe help me make all the arrangements." "So, are all the arrangements done?" Liesl questioned. "It's all done, thanks to Fraulein Maria." The captain said, looking at Maria gratefully. IN turn, she smiled at him. "Well, all I did was pick the design for the invitations, kept you children busy doing other things to notice anything, and taking care of the cuisines. It was your father that did most of the work." "No, It was you!" "NO you!" The children exchanged amused glances. _They would make the perfect couple._ Liesl thought with a sigh. She looked at her father, than at Maria. It was obvious that Father had feelings for Maria. She could see it whenever he talked to Fraulein Maria.

_Unfortunately, she knew that life was no fairytale. No matter how hard you try, life isn't always "happily ever after"._ Coming back to reality, she saw that the two were tired of the silly argument, and were now talking to the children about the party. They all talked until their dinner was finished. Then, they got up and walked out of the dining room to do whatever they did. Before they left, Maria stopped Liesl. "Liesl, would you come with me for a moment?" Liesl, concerned, said, "Sure, Fraulein." The two went up to Maria's room, where Maria shut the door, and pulled a dress from the plastic bag. Liesl gasped. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was made of a soft material, the same as her other dress that she wore the night Fraulein Maria came. Except that this color was baby blue, and this material had little pieces of sparkles on it. The top part of the dress had a neckline decently low enough to be proper, but still low enough to look fashionable. The dress flared out nicely from the waist down. "It's beautiful. Where did you get it?" Liesl breathed. Maria smiled. "I'm glad that you like it. I didn't get it anywhere. I made it." Liesl gasped. "But, how? Where did you get the material?" "Your father asked for my taste of the type of material that you would like. We got the perfect material for you through this catalogue. Your father ordered it, and then I made up a dress that would match your style." Maria replied. Liesl was wordless. She couldn't find the proper word to say how she felt, so she just threw her arms around Maria, and whispered, "Thanks." "Your welcome, Liesl." Maria whispered back. "Now, why don't you try it on?" Liesl nodded excitedly, took the dress from the bed, and went into the bathroom to change. When she got changed into it, she looked at herself in the mirror. She couldn't believe her eyes. The dress was extremely beautiful by itself, but with her actually in it, it made the dress look even more beautiful, if that was even possible. It made HER look beautiful. Usually when she saw herself in the mirror, she saw a sixteen year old. Now, when she looked at herself with the special dress, she didn't see that. She saw a girl that could pass for eighteen, nineteen years old. The dress made her eyes look bluer than ever, and her dark hair contrasted against the baby blue material. "Liesl, did you try it on yet?" She heard Maria calling out. Quickly opening the door, she waited to see Maria's reaction. Maria's eyes widened and her face shocked. "Liesl, you look…you look…." She trailed off, unable to finish. She always thought that Liesl was pretty. And she knew that the dress would look stunning on her. But- she was even more than stunning in that dress. She was…. Gorgeous! Extremely gorgeous, and extremely beautiful. "Well?" Liesl was still waiting for her answer. Liesl was starting to get a little anxious. Maybe she wasn't as beautiful in it as she thought she was. Maybe…. "You look extremely gorgeous, sweetheart." Maria finally said, with tears forming in her eyes. Liesl smiled widely. "Thank you, Fraulein. But it was all your doing. You're the one that made the dress." She hugged Maria tightly. The two just held each other for the next few moments, when finally Maria pulled away. "We should get back to the children." She said finally. Nodding, Liesl said, "Alright. Let's go downstairs!" Maria said, "oh, Liesl. Be sure to keep that dress a secret. Until your ball that is." Liesl nodded. "I will, Fraulein. I will." Maria said, "Ok, then. Let's go down, now." Grinning, the two woman linked arms and went downstairs, where the other children and their father were playing cards. The two quietly watched from a couch where they sat. After a few moments, Maria thought of something. "Captain, is it ok if I bring Mary Poppins to lunch tomorrow? I'll visit her tomorrow, and ask her then." Startled, the Captain looked up. "Oh, yes, Fraulein. Go ahead." Smiling, Maria said, "Thank you." "No problem, Fraulein. No problem." The Captain said, staring at Maria. Maria looked down, embarrassed._ There he goes again._ Liesl, seeing all this, looked at her father carefully. He was still staring at Maria, with that dreamy look in his eye. _Yes. There's definitely love in those eyes. _Liesl thought. Turning to Maria, she frowned. Maria, on the other hand, didn't seem to enjoy being the center of the Captain's attention. She started reading, doing anything possible to not look at the Captain. She hated having the Captain stare at her that way. _It's as if he's in love with me or something._ Maria thought. Realization suddenly hit her. _Oh no! He's in love with me! With me! The employee! And I don't even like him back! _ Looking up as she held her breath, she saw that the Captain had, at last, stopped looking at her, and was now chatting with his children again. Maria let out her breath in relief. _Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he just thinks there is something wrong with how I look. Yeah, that's it! _Maria started breathing easier. At last, calmness flew through her, and she began to relax. After some time, she looked at the clock. It said 9:00 pm. _Time to go to sleep!_ Rising, she said, "Children, its time to say goodnight." The children groaned but did as she asked. Maria quickly followed the children upstairs in an attempt to escape from the Captain. Once out of the room and upstairs, she tucked the children into their rooms and said goodnight. She went to her room, shut the door, changed into her night gown, said a quick prayer, and fell on her bed. She was extremely exhausted from the flurry of activities that day. Within seconds, she was fast asleep. Meanwhile, the Captain was wide awake. He couldn't stop thinking of Maria. He knew from the look on her face when she saw that he was staring at her that she didn't return the feeling of love. Sighing, he turned in his bed, and tried to get some sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next day, Maria left the house to go invite Mary for lunch. When she arrived at her house, she rang the doorbell. Mary opened the door, and when she saw Maria on the steps of her house, she shrieked. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHH" She threw her arms around Maria and hugged her. Maria, overwhelmed, just hugged her back. When Mary pulled away, she said, "What are you doing here? I thought you had that job as a governess?" "Don't you remember?" Maria scolded, wagging her finger playfully. "I wanted to invite you over for lunch, but I had to ask the Captain first. He said it was ok. So, I was hoping you would be able to come." Maria finished, looking at Mary hopefully. Mary laughed. "Oh yeah! Silly me. With all the excitement, I forgot about that. I'd be delighted to go out for lunch." Maria clasped her hands in delight. "Oh wonderful! Let's go now!" Mary went in the house, got her things, and off they went. On the way there, they just caught up with each other's lives. By the time they arrived at the house, they were laughing so hard that the children could hear them a mile away. The children quickly went out to meet them. Maria saw them come in, and quickly introduced them to Mary. "Mary, I would like you to meet the children that I'm taking care of. Children, this is Mary, the friend that I told you about." "Pleased to meet you." Mary said, smiling kindly. The children felt at ease with her at once. Smiling, they said, "It's nice to meet you too." "Well, why don't we go inside? The Captain will probably be there already." Maria said, motioning for the children and Mary to follow her in the house and into the dining room. The Captain was sitting on the table, reading a newspaper. When he heard the sound of voices, he put his newspaper down, and waited for them all to come in. When they arrived, Maria, noticing the Captain, said, "Oh, Captain! I want you to meet a good friend of mine, Mary Poppins. Mary, this is my employer, Captain Von Trapp." Mary smiled, and extended her hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." The Captain shook her hand and smiled back. "Likewise. Now, I'm not sure if you're hungry or not, but we usually have our lunch around this time. Is it ok to eat now?" Mary nodded, surprised that he asked such a question. "Fine with me" "Good!" Kurt grinned. "I'm starving!" Everybody laughed, except for Mary, not getting the joke. "Kurt is known for his big stomach. He is usually one of our biggest eaters." Maria explained. "Oh" Mary said, now understanding the joke. "Shall we eat now?" The Captain inquired. The children rushed to their seats. "I guess that answers the question." The Captain laughed. "Ladies," He gestured for them to take their seats. The two went to their seats, and sat down. Frau Schmidt had graciously provided them with an extra seat next to Maria. As the two ladies took their seats, Mary whispered in Maria's ear, "You never told me how handsome your employer was." The Captain said, "Shall we pray before we eat?" He bowed his head, as did the others, and he said a quick prayer. After they were done, Maria turned back to Mary. Shocked, Maria said, "You're not interested in him, are you?" Giggling, Mary said, "Maybe. Why not? I mean, he's very handsome, and polite." "But- he's a naval hero! Surely he's not your type!" Maria argued. "Fraulein Maria, can you help me cut my chicken?" Gretl asked politely. Maria turned to Gretl and smiled. "Of course, darling." She reached over to Gretl's plate, and took a knife and began to cut. Peeking back at Mary, she noticed how she was constantly looking at the Captain with a dreamy expression. The captain, thankfully, didn't seem to notice. _Thankfully? What am I thinking? Why am I thankful that the Captain didn't notice? I don't like him! … Then why do I feel bad whenever I see Mary looking at the Captain that way? _All these questions passed through Maria's mind as she finished cutting Gretl's chicken and turning to eat her own untouched food. She took a bite of her chicken, and looked around the table. The children were quietly talking while the Captain was just eating his meal in silence. He seemed to be thinking of something. His handsome face was creased as it appeared that he was thinking of something hard. _Wait. Did I just say that he was HANDSOME? What is wrong with me? I don't like him! I don't like him… then why am I saying that he's handsome? I don't like it when he stares at me, but I notice how handsome he is. No- I don't like him. _Maria shook the thought out of her head. She started eating again, but somehow she couldn't stop thinking about it. At the end of lunch, Maria thought that maybe if she kept herself busy, she wouldn't have time to think about it so she brought up the subject of taking the children on a picnic with Mary. The children agreed, as did Mary. But then she did something that was completely unbelievable. She turned to the Captain and asked, "Captain? Would you like to join us? I would like to get to know you better, as I do the children, but if you don't go, then I wouldn't be able to do that." She smiled at him sweetly. The Captain looked surprised and taken aback at the suggestion. "Well, I would like to come along, if it's ok with Fraulein Maria and the kids." He turned to the children and Maria. Fraulein Maria looked just as surprised as he did, but she quickly recovered and said, "Fine with me." The Captain smiled and turned to his children. "Of course it's alright!" His children exclaimed. Chuckling, Mary said, "Well then. I suppose we should all get going. I'm afraid that I'll have to go back after dinner tonight so we'll have to hurry." Everyone agreed and, after packing a couple of snacks and such, left for the mountains. On the way there, Maria and Mary took turns telling the Captain and the children about their old adventures at the mountains as children. They kept on laughing and laughing. Finally, they arrived at their destination. The children wanted to play tag, so they got their father playing as well. Maria and Mary decided not to play, and sat on the grass. Mary sighed and said, "You're lucky, Maria." Maria turned to Mary. "Why?" "Because you get to see the Captain everyday. I won't be able to." Mary said wistfully. Maria sighed. _Again with the Captain. Can't she forget about him?_ "It's not always a good thing to see him everyday. You haven't seen him when he's upset." Maria replied, remembering the fight in front of the lake. "Well, still." Mary said. "I would want to see him upset, because then I'll know him. I hardly know anything about him." Maria sighed again and said, "Well, you can come again some other time right?" Mary brightened. "Of course! Thanks Maria. You're the best." She hugged Maria. Maria, feeling bad, hugged Mary back. She promised herself that she wouldn't feel anymore of those thoughts anymore. She didn't even know why she felt them, anyway.

That's a wrap up. Not too great for an ending… but hopefully you liked it! Read and Review please! Thank you 


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_Sorry it took me so long to update. Busy with exams and everything…._

The Captain decided that he wanted to take a break from running around. He looked over to where Maria and Mary were sitting. They looked so peaceful, just talking and laughing. He walked over to them, hoping that he could just sit and relax. When he got close enough for the ladies to see him, Mary frantically fiddled with her fingers. Maria, not noticing that the Captain was approaching, said, "Mary, why are you so nervous?" She turned around and saw the Captain coming. _Ah, that's why. _Maria thought. Maria turned to the Captain and greeted him with, "Tired of playing tag?" The Captain laughed. "Yeah, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." Mary decided to butt in the conversation now. "I'm sure that you are aging, but it doesn't look like it." Mary said, hoping to get him at ease with her. The captain laughed and said, "Why thank you! I believe that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me." "No problem" Mary said softly. Maria just rolled her eyes at that. Mary ignored her and continued. "So, Captain. Tell me. How did you become a sea captain?" "Oh, its very simple, really. You see, my father was also a captain, and so, as a child, I was trained, and…that's really all there is to it." The Captain said rather modestly. Mary waved her hand in the air. "Oh, you're being so modest! I'm sure it wasn't just that….am I right?" "No, really. I was trained by my father, and then he enrolled me into summer camp where everything just fell into place from there." The Captain said, a little uncomfortable with Mary asking him so many questions that he didn't really like answering. Mary noticed that he looked a little uncomfortable, so she changed the subject. "So, tell me about yourself! Anything interesting?"

The captain answered within a few words. Within seconds, the air was silent, yet again. Maria noticed that the Captain just looked at her helplessly. He obviously looked like he was going through some pain in having to answer all these questions. She also noticed that Mary looked a little less enthusiastic then before. Maria decided to change the subject all together. "Well, why don't we all join the children in their game?" The captain immediately agreed, and took off to join the game. Maria and Mary trailed behind more slowly.

It was after dinner that night. Maria and the children were playing cards, just enjoying each other's company. The Captain was in his study, doing some paperwork, when he heard the loud laughter of his children and Maria. _Wait- I just called her by her first name. I really shouldn't! I mean, honestly! She's my employee._ He pushed that thought out of his head, and decided to see what his children, or more accurately, their governess. He walked out of the study, and wandered into the living room. When he went over to where the children were, he saw that they were playing Signal, and that they were arguing about who got the signal first. Maria noticed him standing there and gave him a silent plead for help. Chuckling, he gave her a reassuring look and said, "Children!" The children ignored him and continued arguing. The captain repeated himself, only to be ignored once more. Getting impatient, he gave one nasty yell. "CHILDREN!" The children immediately stopped, and looked at him. _Finally,_ the Captain thought. "Now, I want you all to stop arguing, stop the game, and get to bed. It's getting late." "But Father!" The children began to object, but once again, the Captain interrupted. "Get to bed!" The children sighed, put the cards away, and left the room, leaving the Captain and Maria alone. "Phew!" Maria said. "Thanks for the rescue. I don't know how much more signal I can take!" Laughing, the Captain said, "You could have just told them to go to bed. They would have listened to you." Maria smiled but shook her head. "I know, but still…I promised them to let them stay a little later than usual, so I couldn't break my promise." She sighed. Before the Captain could respond, she said, "Well, I'm really tired. I think that I'll head to bed now. Goodnight, Captain." She got up. The Captain studied her for a moment. She did look really tired. "Sure. Goodnight." He finally said. Maria smiled at him tiredly, and walked out of the room, dragging her feet behind her. When she got to her room upstairs, she quickly changed into her nightclothes and collapsed on her bed. She felt so tired. _At least I'll know that I'll sleep well tonight._ Just then, she remembered what Mary had said after they had played tag with the children. "I was totally wrong about the Captain. He's so downright boring!" Mary had complained. "I'm not interested anymore!" Maria remembered that she was relieved to hear that, although she knew that she shouldn't have been. Maria started picturing the Captain's face. _Oh boy… I shouldn't be thinking like this…I mean imagining my employer's face? _Maria shut her eyes again and tried her best to fall asleep. Yet she couldn't get that image out of her head. After many hours, she finally went into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she groggily woke up, changed and went downstairs. When she arrived at the dining room, she saw that the children and the Captain were already waiting for her. "Good morning!" The Captain said cheerfully. "I hope that you slept well?" Maria looked at him and said, "Good morning. No, I didn't sleep all to well, but I'm fine, thank you." She said quietly. She took her seat. The children and the Captain looked at her in concern. She wasn't usually this quiet. The family ate in silence. Maria began to feel awful for causing the silence of the table. In an attempt to make up for it, she said, "Children, I was wondering what you wanted to do today?" The children, relieved that she was starting to sound like her old self again, eagerly shared their ideas, when the Captain interrupted. "Actually, if it's alright with you all, I think it's about time we went to town for some clothes for that party for Liesl, remember? Her birthday is coming up in two days!" The girls' eyes lit up while the boys groaned. "Oh yeah!" Gretl said, happily. "When can we go, Father?" The Captain lovingly smiled at his youngest daughter. "Whenever your fraulein says, Gretl." The children turned to Maria. Maria smiled at their excitement. "I'm ready whenever you are!" She laughed. The children cheered and the Captain said, "Well, let's leave right after we eat and change into presentable clothes." The children wasted no more time. They gobbled down their food, and ran over to their rooms to get changed within a few minutes. The Captain and Maria smiled at each other amusingly. They followed the children's example and went up to their rooms. After everyone went back downstairs, the captain drove the children, himself and Maria to town. The children talked among themselves, chatting about what they wanted to get. The Captain and Maria, both in the front of the car listened to them, glancing at each other from time to time to exchange looks of knowing smiles. When they got to town, the Captain parked, and said, "Well, where do you want to go?" The children gave different answers at once. "That way!" Marta, Gretl and Brigitta said, pointing to the right where there was a dress shop for kids. "That way!" Liesl said to the left. "That way!" Kurt, Frederick and Louisa said, pointing straight ahead, where they saw a bakery. _Uh oh,_ the Captain thought. "Ok, how about this. Right now, since the kids dress shop is closest, we'll go there first. After that, we'll go the store that Liesl wanted, and then after we all get something, we'll go to the bakery, ok?" He looked at them expectantly. The children easily agreed. "Ok! Let's go over now!" They rushed over to the kids dress shop, dragging Fraulein Maria along, leaving the Captain with Liesl. He turned to her in concern. "Is something wrong, Liesl?" "No, Father." Liesl responded. "I just wanted to talk to you alone. We hardly ever get a chance to talk much." Growing more serious, the Captain said, "No, I guess we don't." he was saddened that he hardly had time to spend time with Liesl. Out of all the children, he spent the least amount of time with Liesl. "Why don't we go to that coffee shop over there, and have a talk- just you and me." Liesl's face lit up. "Really, Father? Just you and me?" "Just you and me" The captain reached over and gently caressed her cheek. "Just let me go tell Fraulein Maria." He went inside the shop, told Maria where he was going to go, and went back outside, where he led his eldest daughter to a coffee shop to have a heart-to-heart talk.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Now, children, the girls have to find the right dresses, while the boys need to find nice suits. Let's see now…" Maria paused to think.

The children were just looking at her expectedly. "Why don't the girls start looking around for dresses? I'll go help the boys first since

they'll probably be easier to find. Louisa, could you help the little ones find a proper dress?" Maria asked. Louisa groaned. "Do I have

to fraulein? I mean, Liesl is the one that usually does all that. I'm totally not the person to ask for advice- especially when it comes to

dresses for little girls." Maria looked at Louisa sympathetically. "I know, Louisa. But, you're the oldest girl here right now. Liesl is with

your father right now, so in the meantime, you're going to have to be in charge while I'm gone." Maria said firmly. Louisa sighed, but

obediently led her younger sisters to a rack of dresses. Maria breathed a sigh of relief. _Phew…_

"Now, boys, I want you to look around quickly, grab ones that you like, and bring them back over here. I will see if they're proper,

and you can try them on and see if you like them ok?" The boys grunted unhappily. "Ok" They slowly walked over to the boy's section

and began inspecting the clothes there and grabbing whatever they liked. Within a few minutes, they came back to Maria, with the

clothes that they thought were suitable. Maria had been looking at some of the clothes, thinking of the possibilities of the type of dress

that she was going to make for herself. "Well, those seem to be just fine for the party." Maria smiled at them. "Why don't you go to the

dressing room and see how it looks. If you like it, it's yours." The boys dashed for the dressing room, eager to get it over with. It took

no time at all for the boys to find something that they liked. Maria was surprised to see the boys back so soon. "Back so soon?" The

boys nodded. "OH yes, Fraulein! I can't stand to be here any longer! Can we please just buy it and go?" Maria laughed. "Ah, that's

why you found things so quickly! Alright, let me go purchase it and we'll be going." She walked over to the cashier, paid for it, and

walked back to the boys. "Let's go" The two boys looked relieved and quickly followed her out of the store. When they reached the

shop where the girls were, the boys told Maria that they wanted to wait outside. Maria hesitantly agreed, under one condition: that they

would stay put and not go anywhere. The boys complained but Maria said that if they wanted to wait outside, they would have to do it

without moving anywhere. The boys grumbled, and finally said that they were going to go inside. Maria smiled to herself. _Young boys, _

_always so predictable._ She thought. She led the boys inside the shop, and went in search of the girls.

When Maria found the girls, she found them looking through racks of dresses. "Hey girls! How are things coming along?" The girls'

heads snapped up. "Oh, Fraulein you're here! We really need your help. We can't seem to decide on an outfit for Louisa." Brigitta

reported. "What's the problem?" Maria asked. "Well," Brigitta began. "Louisa refused to try on any of the dresses that I suggested.

So, after a while, I got a little impatient, so I told her to go find her own dress. So she's been choosing dresses, but none of them are

proper!" "It's not my fault my taste isn't as 'high-class' as you, little miss-perfect!" Louisa retorted. Brigitta just gave her a rotten look.

"HEY!" Maria shouted, cutting in. "Louisa, let's see the dresses that you want." Louisa silently handed Maria the dresses. Maria eyed

the material critically. It was white, with lacey material. The gown flared nicely from the waist, down. Although Maria had to admit that

it was pretty, she thought it was rather childish for someone like Louisa. The children watched her examine the dress. She turned to

Louisa and said, "I have to admit that this is a very nice dress that you picked. It's simple, but would look nice on you. However, I

realize that it looks rather childish…" She trailed off when she saw Louisa's face pinched in anger. "I don't care if it looks childish! I

like it, and that's what I want." Louisa said, stubbornly. Maria sighed, and said, "Are you sure, Louisa?" Louisa nodded firmly. Maria

sighed again. "Alright." Louisa got a triumphant look on her face. Brigitta just looked away in disgust. "What about you, girls?" Maria

turned to Brigitta and Marta. "Did you find anything you like?" Brigitta and Marta bobbed their heads. "Oh yes, Fraulein!" Marta said

excitedly. She handed Maria her dress of choice. Again, Maria examined the dress. _The color is nice…it has nice puffy sleeves…_

_strong material…shiny…_Maria looked at Marta who was waiting nervously. "It's perfect, Marta!" Maria said. Marta beamed.

"Now," Maria continued, "what about you, Brigitta?"…

Meanwhile, in a coffee shop, Captain von Trapp was having a nice chat with his eldest daughter. "…And then, she fell off the coast,

where I rescued her from drowning. I guess that was when she started noticing me." The captain finished telling Liesl about the time he

had met Agathe. Liesl sighed dreamily. "What happened after that?" Georg smiled, thinking of it. "Well, she and I started talking on a

daily basis, which led to me asking her out for dinner, which led to…well you get the picture." Liesl nodded, her eyes shining. "That's

so romantic." Georg chuckled. "Well, not really." Liesl grinned. "I guess if you really think about it, it's not, but still, for someone as

inexperienced with love as I am, it is." Liesl sighed again, this time, with discontentment. Georg looked at his daughter in concern. He

never really discussed the issue of relationships with Liesl. Now as he studied his daughter's face, he observed that she looked

unhappy. "Liesl…" Georg began, not wanting to put his daughter into anymore pain, but knowing that he had to ask. "Are you having

boy problems?" Liesl looked at her father with a startled look on her face. Georg noted her doing that, and he detected a trace of fear

in her eyes. "Liesl?" he prodded. Liesl slowly nodded. "I don't want to talk about it." She said quietly. Georg nodded in understanding.

"I understand. But, it helps to talk about it, you know." Liesl slowly nodded but didn't say anything. "If you don't want to talk about it,

I understand. But if you want to, I'm here for you." He finally said, breaking the silence. Liesl looked at him gratefully. _Maybe I should _

_tell him..._Liesl thought. Looking at her father's face, she knew that he really wanted to help. She also knew that she could trust him

with anything, but she wasn't sure if he was the one to go to for guy problems. After all, he was a guy. Usually, when girls have their

hearts broken, they go to their moms. But she didn't have a mom. The only person she could consider ever being a mother figure

was…Fraulein Maria. But even then, she didn't know if she was willing to tell Maria about it. After all, Maria probably never even

went through that stuff. Sighing, Liesl knew that her only option was to either talk to her father about it, or suppress all her feelings

inside for the rest of her life. Liesl took a deep breathe, and said, "Father?" He was now busy eating. Georg immediately stopped

eating, and looked at her. "I'm ready to talk about it now." Georg said, "I'm listening." "Well, it all started when…."

There you go! I hope it wasn't TOO short! Hoped you liked it! I'm sorry if I take so long to update my stories, but I was too lazy to do it, so…I need encouragement people! LOL. Read and Review! ) Please and Thank you.


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